The present invention relates generally to emergency tire inflation apparatuses and, more particularly, to a tire inflation hose assembly for interconnecting a portable container of pressurized tire inflation material and a conventional valve stem of a tire which is capable of withstanding the elevated material pressure required when using environmentally safe propellants.
Emergency tire repair systems which employ a portable container of highly pressurized inflation material to inflate a flat tire are very popular in today's automobile dependent society. The emergency tire inflation container has a sufficient quantity and mixture of materials, typically an inflation gas and a rubber type compound, to both inflate and repair a flat tire. Thus, a driver, upon experiencing a flat tire, can inflate the tire using the emergency tire repair system and have the tire checked later by a qualified tire professional.
A problem experienced with previous hose assembly designs is the unintentional uncoupling of the nozzle or release valve from the flexible tube due to the pressure of the inflation material. This problem has been exacerbated in recent years as manufactures have switched to environmentally safe propellants. Previous propellants, such as propane, butane and freon, were capable of operation at pressures of approximately 55 to 60 pounds per square inch. The current environmentally safe propellants require significantly higher pressures, pressures which can reach 160 to 170 pounds per square inch when the emergency tire repair system is stored in an automobile trunk and subjected to elevated temperatures.
Prior tire inflation hose assemblies have not been designed to withstand these increased pressures. For instance, previous hose assemblies have secured the flexible tube to the nozzle and release valve using an extended member having oversized, circumferential ribs. The extended member is inserted into the flexible tube, thereby stretching the tube and generating a holding force which opposes withdrawal of the member. In addition, a rigid annular sleeve having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tube may be forced over the stretched portion of the tube to provide an even greater holding force.
However, these forces may be insufficient to withstand the aforementioned increased pressures, causing the emergency tire inflation apparatus to malfunction. Such a malfunction not only results in inconvenience and loss of time, and is highly undesirable.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved tire inflation hose assembly having an extended, flexible nozzle which is capable of withstanding the high pressures required when using environmentally safe propellants.